Award for man who ‘died’ and returned to work 11 days later
A man who was ‘dead’ for 15 minutes – only to be back at work 11 days later – has won an award for his contribution to saving the lives of others.
David Walston, of Thriplow, suffered a cardiac arrest in 2019. He only survived thanks to his wife delivering effective CPR before Magpas Air Ambulance took over. Now he has been recognised for his own contributions to the charity, winning Volunteer of the Year at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising East Anglia Awards.
“Eleven days after I spent 15 minutes dead on my bedroom floor, I was back at work,” he recalled. “Not many people can say they’ve saved a life, but my wife and Magpas Air Ambulance can. I know I’m one of the very lucky ones.”
Since his own cardiac arrest, David has dedicated vast amounts of his free time teaching communities in Cambridgeshire life-saving CPR. Inspired by his wife’s actions and surprised by the statistic that more than 90 per cent of people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital in the UK die, David has since made it his mission to spend his free time doing all he can to save more lives.
This year, David has already taught the skill to hundreds of people across the county and explained to them how to use a defibrillator, including at the recent Cambridgeshire County Day. Following the virtual ceremony on Tuesday, June 28, Lucy Chapman, Magpas Air Ambulance’s director of fundraising and marketing, said: “It was a really proud moment seeing David win the Volunteer of the Year award.
“It is truly humbling that David is using his second chance to train people in the skills that saved his own life, and every session he delivers makes the communities that Magpas Air Ambulance serve safer. David is a fantastic advocate for the charity, and I have no doubt that his volunteering will save lives and keep families together in the future.”
In January, David volunteered as a trainer with Magpas Air Ambulance’s free community CPR and defibrillator training programme, introduced to teach the importance of effective, timely CPR by members of the public in the precious minutes prior to the arrival of emergency services. He became the first volunteer of this kind with the charity.
In a matter of months, outside of his normal working hours and second job as a community first responder, David has taught more than 200 people aged eight and over the life- saving skills and received 100 per cent positive feedback from everyone he has trained.
[Read more: Princess Anne attends Magpas Air Ambulance fundraising appeal launch]
He has also raised awareness and funds for the charity through his training sessions, helping to secure more than £3,000 in donations. Nicola Cooper, Magpas’ community training and engagement officer, said: “David’s contribution to the training has been amazing and it’s fantastic to work alongside such a passionate volunteer.
“Not only is he contributing to our work in the community but, by allowing us to use his story in our training, it makes it so much more impactful. Working with David brings validity to what we’re trying to achieve, and to be able to say he’s delivering the training after suffering a cardiac arrest himself, in his own time as a volunteer, is so powerful.
“David’s passion to spread the word is motivational and he empowers those he trains to understand the significance of the training and how they could save the life of a loved one.”
The oldest emergency medical charity of its kind, Cambridgeshire-based Magpas has treated more than 60,000 patients since it was launched in 1971. It relies on public donations. For more information, visit magpas.org.uk.
